One-piece interior trim panels for motor vehicles, which typically consist of plastic and are manufactured by means of a plastic injection-molding process, are known from practical applications. These interior trim panels feature a trim section configured to face the vehicle interior and is essentially realized in a plate-shaped or wall-like fashion, as well as a handle section that is arranged on the trim section such that a handle cavity is formed in the interior trim panel. The handle section and the handle cavity form a hand grip of sorts that can be taken hold of by a person in order to pivot a hatch or tailgate of the motor vehicle, on which the interior trim panel is arranged.
Such interior trim panels feature an integrated release element configured to actuate a hatch or tailgate of the motor vehicle. Interior trim panels of this type may furthermore also be arranged on stationary components of the motor vehicle in order to enable a passenger of the vehicle to hold on to the hand grip formed by the handle section and the handle cavity. The handle sections, which are realized in one piece with the trim section, are in this case essentially closed and designed in a recessed or trough-shaped fashion. Consequently, the handle sections typically feature two boundary walls that lie opposite of one another in the vertical direction, two sidewalls that lie opposite of one another in the lateral direction and a bottom wall that essentially lies opposite of the handle cavity opening, wherein these walls completely define the handle cavity in the cited directions. In this case, at least one of the boundary walls is inclined relative to the adjacent trim section in such a way that it is possible to reach behind the transition region between the trim section and the boundary wall. This should make it possible to securely take hold of the interior trim panel in this region. However, it was determined that the inclination of the aforementioned boundary wall relative to the trim section is in most instances inadequate for securely taking hold of the interior trim panel in the region of the handle cavity. Furthermore, the slight angle of inclination between the boundary wall and the trim section required for securely taking hold of the interior trim panel can only be realized with increased effort and—depending on the remaining design of the interior trim panel—occasionally not at all. This is the case, in particular, when the interior trim panel should be manufactured by means of a permanent mold during the course of the plastic injection-molding process.